Christmas at a restaurant
by Tiro
Summary: Martin is at a Christmas party hosted by his parents, and the longer the night drags the more depressed he gets. He gets a surprise-call from Danny who has a place over at a restaurant and invites Martin. Start of a slash-relationship.


**Christmas at a restaurant (The beginning of something lasting)**

**Summary**: Martin is at a Christmas party hosted by his parents, and the longer the night drags the more depressed he gets. He gets a surprise-call from Danny who has a place over at a restaurant and invites Martin. Start of a slash-relationship.

**Pairing/s**: Eventually DannyMartin.

**Warnings**: Slash.

**Disclaimers**: I don't own Without a Trace.

-o-

Christmas was an endless drag of parties, parties and more parties. Dress-up in a choking shirt, all black suit, fake plastered on smile and an inner voice who screamed for murder. Martin Fitzgerald was glad he hadn't brought the gun with him; he might have shot someone otherwise. Or perhaps to end his own misery.

He barely knew anyone in the room. He knew their names and faces but had no idea what their interests was, if they had a pet and if they licked his father's boots or grovelled in front of his mother. It was easier to assume all of their worshippers had been invited just so they could be worshipped some more. And perhaps a few important people who could get their boots licked by the Fitzgerald pair.

Martin didn't care. He wanted to go home. Eat some take-out, fall asleep on the couch or whatever, read a novel where the ending was sappy, take a shower, pick his nose… _anything_ else but this. Maybe a case, he just _had _to come in even though he knew Jack would never call, they were all off-duty, someone else was handling the missing people but now he really wanted to hear his phone ring and the one on the other end really needed to have him walk out of his parents' damn house. He hated this place.

Vibrating.

He looked down at his pocket.

_You got to be kidding me…_

He got out the phone. It was indeed ringing. But it wasn't Jack.

Danny.

Martin frowned, but answered.

"Fitzgerald," he said even as he walked towards one of the lesser populated areas so he could speak in peace. And maybe a place where his parents couldn't see he was bored to death.

"_Hey, Fitzie."_

"Danny. What do I owe the pleasure?"

"_I was supposed to go out with this hot, really, really __**hot**__-"_

"I get it, what about it?" Martin couldn't help but smile at his colleague's banter.

"_Oh, okay. Well, really, I was supposed to go to a dinner with someone, maybe not as hot as I implied, but it got cancelled. Or, she couldn't come. But I can. And I got a spot over."_

"Where is this leading?"

"_I was just wondering if you'd be interested."_

"Interested?" Martin's feet wanted to start walking towards the exit but he had to hear Danny say it before giving in to his feet's demands.

"_You know, to have a fancy dinner with me."_

Martin's feet screamed in joy and took him out of the boredom.

-o-

Danny whistled once he caught sight of Martin, and the man only raised an eyebrow.

"Hell, Marty, I didn't know you could actually match your clothing for once!" he said gleefully.

"Oh shut up," Martin muttered. He was dressed in complete black, suit, shirt and tie along with shining black shoes. His mother had told him to come dressed nicely in accurate Christmas clothes. Once he arrived she had glared at him in disapproval and started going on about he still had time to change.

He had told her to stuff it.

He figured he would get a call about that tomorrow. Probably a cold shoulder for a few weeks. Martin hoped it would last at least a couple of months.

Danny dragged out one of the chairs and Martin sat down. The Hispanic seated himself and found Martin browsing through the menu with a frown.

"You have a headache?" he asked.

Martin looked up. How the hell did Danny always know that? "Yeah," he replied. "How did you…?"

"You frowned," Danny said. "I know you do frown in normal cases but not when reading."

"Oh… I see. Well, I hope I won't be too bitchy tonight."

"Marty, don't say 'bitchy'. It doesn't fit your well brought up mouth."

"Bitchy. Jerk. Asshole. Want me to go on?"

"Oh, you're destroying your innocence!"

"I think I destroyed it when I was twelve and called my mother a stupid hag."

Danny blinked. "You did?"

"Well, I might have added bitch too," Martin confessed.

"Seriously? Oh man, I learn something new about you every day!"

Martin returned to the menu. He heard soft Christmas music playing in the background and the silly decorations of Christmas things was all over the room. He didn't mind it though. It was far away from his home. Far away from his family. Danny was sitting across him absently looking over the choices.

This might be one of his best Christmases.

-o-

Danny knew he was bi. Knew he was okay with either sex. Was the person hot-looking then that person was worth pursuing.

He had never thought of Martin as anything near hot. Sure, he was a funny guy, he had good looks but Danny hadn't allowed himself to think much further. Plus Martin's straight. As straight as you could get. He was going to get a wife, a couple of kids, white house with white fence. You know. Perfectly normal family. Or so he thought.

He had thought that until the bad family relationship within the Fitzgeralds became known to him.

Martin hated normal. He hated everything that had anything to do with his life in his parents' house. They were the perfect impression of normal. A perfect husband, a perfect wife and for a long time, an apparently perfect son.

Then Martin became a FBI-agent and family reunions had been chilly at best. To think Danny thought he was stuck-up the first time they met. Now he knew Martin had only been very nervous, and tried too hard. He didn't know how to do this social thing with co-workers, not at first with them.

Now he was Danny's best friend, and tonight he was _hot_.

Danny never thought Martin could pick out clothes that would look sinfully good. Never in his life did he believe his friend could make himself so sexy with little effort.

He had just been proved very wrong.

Martin looked too good to be true. Half of the people in the restaurant had to believe they were together. Danny would be thrilled if they did. And at the same time a bit sad it wasn't true. Martin knew him the best. He knew Martin the best. Their arguments, even major ones, were quickly solved. People were already calling them a married couple.

But Danny wasn't sure Martin would ever convert to guys. Maybe he would have a shot at it after tonight.

They ordered and spent the time waiting for the meals doing odd small talk. Martin got a chance to rant about his family while Danny listened, fascinated with all the stories the man knew. Great blackmail material if Danny ever needed it.

Their food arrived and they ate pretty much in silence, Danny glancing over at Martin and secretly wanting and hoping. He didn't notice Martin looking back at him.

-o-

"Oh man, that was awesome! I'm going to be full for two days now!"

Danny stretched and grinned over at Martin who smiled in reply. The two men walked towards Danny's car as Martin had taken a cab.

"You want a ride home?" Danny asked, even though he knew he was already giving Martin one whether the man wanted it or not. "Got plenty of space, and plenty of time. Or you want to come to my place? I got a couple of movies you haven't seen yet."

Martin stopped him. Danny turned around, knowing he was rambling and wishing Martin didn't remember the fact he rambled when he was nervous. The other man's face was blank. Danny really hated the fact he could never read Martin's mood.

"Fitzie?"

It was a good thing Danny couldn't feel Martin's heart beat frantically against his ribcage. Of course Martin knew that Danny was okay with guys and girls, and not all looks he had given Martin was strictly friend to friend. So he was going to be bold. He was going to make a crazy move, and if it didn't work out… he'd transfer to California or something.

Martin leaned forward and placed a small kiss on Danny's lips. He moved back. The Hispanic stared at him.

"Merry Christmas," Martin said with a shrug. "I had a good time."

"You kissed me."

"I did."

"Why?"

"I felt like it."

"Yeah?"

"And I was kind of hoping for another one."

Danny's expression softened, and a smile blossomed. He wrapped an arm around Martin's middle, drew closer, searching for any signs of discomfort, and when finding none, he leaned forward.

Martin's lips opened up easily, and it might have looked obscene, or really beautiful; Danny didn't care.

It was the best Christmas gift ever.

End

* * *

There! Hope you enjoyed!

Until another time,

Ja,

Tiro


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